Continental Reformed AMA 2017

The Continental Reformed Churches come from the branch of the protestant Reformation that developed during the reformation in Switzerland, Scotland, France and the low countries. We share much in common with the other branches of the Reformation (Anglicans and Lutherans) but have our own distinct flavor.

In terms of what makes the Reformed different from other Protestant groups, I love this quote by Cornelius Plantinga:

• Our accents lie more on the sovereignty of God, on the authority of Scripture, on the need for disciplined holiness in personal Christian life, and finally, on Christianity as a religion of the Kingdom.

In the U.S. there are two main groups of Reformed churches: Presbyterians (the Scottish Reformed) and the Continental Reformed. Historically, Scottish Reformed have put a bit more emphasis on personal piety (the Puritans are part of this group) while the Continental Reformed have put slightly more emphasis on declaring the Lordship of Christ over all creation. We also have different confessional documents But, we are very, very similar.

Today we have representatives from the two largest Continental Reformed Denominations in North America: The Reformed Church in America (RCA) and the Christian Reformed Church in North America (CRCNA). Both denominations were founded by Dutch immigrants and the ethnic Dutch heritage is still very much felt in both denominations today, but there are also many in both denominations who ain't Dutch including both of today's panelists. As a result, our churches can be highly concentrated in areas that had many Dutch immigrants and sparse in areas that did not.

Confessions:

The Reformed tradition is a deeply confessional one. We hold to historic documents that describe what we understand scripture to teach on a wide range of matters. We share three confessitions from the Reformation that are called The Three Forms of Unity: The Belgic Confession, The Heidelberg Catechism, and the Canons of Dort . The RCA also holds the Confession of Belhar as a fourth confession (the CRC considers the Belhar to be a "Contemporary Testimony"). Both denominations also confess the so confess the Apostles Creed, the Nicene Creed and the Athanasian Creed.

Both denominations have contemporary statements of faith that express our faith in modern language: for the RCA this is Our Song of Hope, for the CRC it is Our World Belongs to God.

Your Panelists:

u/rev_run_d is an ordained Minister of Word & Sacrament in the Reformed Church in America, the oldest continuous Protestant denomination in the USA. He is currently serving as a pastor in an international, interdenominational, English speaking Protestant church overseas. He participated in the Continental Reformed AMA back in 2015.

u/davidjricardo grew up in the Reformed Church in America and started going to a CRC church during graduate school. He is an ordained deacon in the CRC and has served on the church council and as treasurer. Has been not been a regular attender for a number of years since he have moved to a location without a Reformed church within 100 miles. He is also a professional Economist, and a life-long fan of the St. Louis Cardinals. He can often hear SpaceX testing rockets from his house.

We're not going to focus on Reformed Theology directly, only inasmuch as it is lived out through the expression of what it means to be part of our Reformed denominations.

TL;DR Ask us about our Reformed tradition, not about Reformed theology! (unless it pertains to our tradition)